“Who the hell is this?”
A smug, accented voice came through the phone. “Am I finally speaking to the infamous Adrian Walker?”
“Yeah, asshole.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I’m Walker. Your turn to share.”
“You don’t know? I assumed my father’s ring would have given you the answer.”
Bingo.
Adrian shared a look with the other men. “Matais Ortiz. Cesar’s hidden gem.”
The man chuckled. “My father had to hide me because he knew monsters like you existed.”
“Oh, I’m the monster?” Adrian squeezed the phone. “I’m not the bastard who kidnapped and beat an innocent woman!”
“No. You’re the bastard who tortured my father to death.”
“Your father’s men took my sister off the streets so he could use her for his own fucked up pleasure. Then he killed her and tossed her away like a piece of garbage.”
“My father was a brilliant businessman who built an empire out of nothing.”
“Your father was a sick, perverted freak,” Adrian hissed. “I enjoyed every single second of pain I caused him, just like I will when I get my hands on you.”
“Tsk, tsk, Mr. Walker. You really shouldn’t say things about me or my father like that. Especially when my men are standing so close to Miss Shaw.”
There was a slight pause before the sound of someone’s fist hitting skin reached their ears. Every man in the room stiffened when they heard Jenna’s muffled cry of pain.
“You son of a bitch!” Adrian spoke through a set of clenched teeth. “Touch her again, and Iswearto God—”
They hit her again.
“Fucking stop!Please!” Adrian bellowed, the tendons in his neck straining from the force. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes and his gut tightened with the need to kill.
“You’ll soon learn, Mr. Walker”—Matais toyed with him some more—“You are not the one in charge, here. I am.”
“Fine!” Chest heaving, he temporarily swallowed his pride and hatred toward the other man. “What is it you want?”
“Oh, I think you know exactly what I want.”
Adrian looked around the room to find the same look of understanding in every man’s eyes.
“You want me? You’ve got me. But not until Jenna’s far the fuck away from you.”
“See, that’s not going to work for me,” Ortiz commented smugly. “But I’ll make you a deal. You come to me.Tradeyourself for the girl. And I’ll set her free.”
“Done.” Adrian didn’t hesitate. Didn’t take time to think about it.
He didn’t need to.
Jenna’s weak voice broke his already shattered heart as she screamed for him to stay away and not come for her.
Sorry, baby. I love you. I have to do this.
The other men all shook their heads vehemently while silently mouthing their opposition to his response. He didn’t care.
With the exception of Ryker, every man in that room had gone through similar situations with their own women. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, each of them would give up their lives in the blink of an eye if it meant keeping those women safe.
Adrian was no different.